1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to consumer electronics devices with converged functionalities. More particularly, the present invention relates to a power management system for personal computer/television ("PC/TV's"), which power management system causes a PC/TV in which it is incorporated to operate in a "user friendly" manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
In broad general terms, there are presently efforts underway to combine or converge functionalities of interest to users in electronic devices, both so that the resultant devices are more attractive because they are more useful, and so that consumers do not become overwhelmed by the number of devices they are urged to purchase and use. This "combining" or "converging" presents a number of challenges, economic as well as technical, which can, in turn, lead to unique, especially intelligent or fortuitous, developments.
For example, personal computers and televisions, which are combined (i.e., whose functionalities are converged) in "PC/TV's," have a number of common attributes. PC/TV developers are generally eager to exploit components underlying these attributes twice, rather than duplicate them. For example, it makes sense to use commonly required screen display elements for both the PC and TV sides of PC/TV, rather than to build a PC/TV with two screen displays. Notwithstanding the above-mentioned "eagerness" on the part of PC/TV developers, PC's and TV's behave differently in a number of respects, which makes "double exploitation" difficult.
For example, in the power management area, because both PC's and TV's require similar power supplies, it would seem a simple matter to have the PC and TV sides of a PC/TV share the same supply. However, there are a number of fundamental, general differences in the ways personal computers and televisions operate, which differences make development of an integrated, and intelligently operating, power management system extremely difficult. These differences include:
1) the fact that televisions today are generally operated by a remote control device or by buttons on the television housing, while personal computers are generally operated by software generated pull-down menus and the like, controlled by keyboards, mice, and other I/O devices connected directly to the personal computer; PA1 2) the fact that personal computers today generally have more states than televisions. That is, while televisions are generally either on or off, personal computers may be on, off, or in a sleep or suspended state; and PA1 3) the fact that televisions and personal computers are commonly connected to different devices. For example, VCR's are commonly connected to televisions but not to personal computers; the opposite is true in the case of joysticks. This difference can be extremely significant, especially in a case where the fact that a certain device is connected markedly modifies, or requires markedly modified, system behavior. As will become apparent from the discussion hereinbelow, such cases are not uncommon. PA1 1) it can switch first functional mode components, e.g., a personal computer, between an "on" and a "suspended" or "sleep" state with a simple actuator movement, e.g., one press of a power button; PA1 2) it can continuously monitor the state of the converged electronics device, and selectively and appropriately employ, or disable, power management control functions based upon the state detected; PA1 3) it can selectively and appropriately employ, or disable, converged electronics device functions (e.g., audio output) if certain peripheral equipment is connected to the overall system; PA1 4) it can selectively and appropriately empower various converged electronics device components based upon a predetermined priority of operation; PA1 5) it can determine if and when likely nonconsciously selected actions (e.g., power interruption) occur, and alter subsequent actions selected appropriately, possibly notwithstanding other factors (e.g., operational priority); and
Another complicating element in an effort to design an integrated, intelligently designed power management system is the fact that shared resources can often not do two things at once, which fact requires that the power management system be able to prioritize actions under various circumstances, so that constituent resources are properly applied.
Still yet another complicating factor resides in the inherent difficulty of designing a remote control for both a PC/TV that is effective but foolproof (i.e., not capable of triggering or attempting to trigger a nonsensical or improper action).
In view of all of the above-listed differences and complicating factors, it should be appreciated that it is a difficult matter to design an integrated, intelligently operating, power management system for a "converged" electronics device such as a PC/TV. It should also be appreciated that having such a system would offer tremendous advantages in cost reduction and user friendliness of, e.g., PC/TV systems, and that not having such a system is a tremendous shortcoming and deficiency of the prior art.